Just got back this minute Tyce. I can sneak the odd post in at work and late nights if I find a network.

I noticed that.

City has good depth this year. They can field a good side for the Carling Cup... and come back with a radically changed lineup for the Premiership. I wonder who gets the start versus FC Bayern.

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Worried... even a tad? Take the emotion out of it and tell me how you see it? Plus who you think Bayern will field? IMO, this is the game of the week for CL. 2 strong teams. I have no idea who Man City and Bayern will field as far as players but both sides are kicking *** in their respective leagues.

Worried... even a tad? Take the emotion out of it and tell me how you see it? Plus who you think Bayern will field? IMO, this is the game of the week for CL. 2 strong teams. I have no idea who Man City and Bayern will field as far as players but both sides are kicking *** in their respective leagues.

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Worried only in the sense that it is an away game and a short turnaround from Saturday. I cannot say what Bayern will do as I do not know their side well enough. But I would assume they will field their strongest possible side. My other concern is how much David Silva has been playing and whether or not he will be on top form Tuesday.

Balotelli seems to be the on form striker at the moment... so he'll likely start with Aguero. Mancini will probably go with Silva and Nasri as the attacking mids... with Yaya Toure and Barry as the holding midfielders. I figure Zabaletta will get a look in at right back. Clichy will start at left back if Mancini is worried about Bayern's strikers... or Kolorov if he isn't. Clichy played the full 90 min against Everton... so I'm leaning more to Kolarov. Center backs will be the usual Kompany and Lescott and of course Hart in goal.

Look at the Bayernliga (5.Liga), and go to the table in the bottom right. The top 9 get promoted? Do I read that correctly?

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Okay... another round of restructuring is going on. The fourth tier of German football (Regionalliga) is going to be expanded next year from three leagues to five. That is why so many promotion spots are available this year. When the 3. Liga was formed the previous third tier teams... (which were from various Regionalligen)... had to finish in the top ten to stay third class in the 3. Liga... (Kickers finished 10th on the last day). The rest stayed where they were and became fourth class. This is now happening in Bayern... (except as fourth and fifth tier).

Read this...

Bayernliga Nord and Süd: from 2012

In October 2010, yet another reform of the Regionalligas was decided upon. The number of leagues were now to be expanded to five, with the defunct Regionalliga Nordost to be reestablished and a Regionalliga Bayern to be established. Also, the Regionalliga West would lose the clubs from the south west to a new league, formed out of those clubs and the clubs from Regionalliga Süd without the Bavarian teams. The new system is due to come into operation in the 2012-13 season. It was also decided to limit the number of reserve teams per Regionalliga to seven.[6]The Bavarian football federation is planning drastic changes to the league system from 2012 onwards. With the already decided introduction of the Regionalliga Bayern from 2012–13, it plans to place two Bayernligas below the new league as the new fifth tier of the German league system. Below those, five Landesligas instead of the existing three would be set, which would be geographically divided to limit travel and increase the number of local derbies. This model was adopted in late April 2011.[7] With the league reform at the end of the 2011-12 season, the Bezirksoberligas are also scheduled to be disbanded. Instead, the Beirksligas will take the place of the Bezirksoberligas once more below the Landesligas.[8]While it was originally thought that the Regionalliga Bayern will carry the name Bayernliga, it was later revealed that the Verbandsligas would have that honour, making the Bayernliga a divided league like it had been from 1953 to 1963. The new qualification modus would see all current Bavarian Regionalliga teams qualify for the new league as well as the top nine of the Bayernliga. Additionally, the teams placed 10th to 15th would enter a promotion round with the six Landesliga champions and runners-up for three more spots in the new league. Fluctuations of this formula are however possible if a Bavarian club is promoted to or relegated from the 3rd Liga. The losers of this qualification round, nine clubs, and the Landesliga clubs placed third to eighth, 18 clubs, would all enter the new Bayernligas. The Landesliga clubs that failed to qualify for the Bayernligas would remain in one of the five new Landesligas, there would be no relegation to the Bezirksligas.[9][1]

My lord... when I was at Spezial Braurei, someone asked if I wanted to play Fußball later on that day, I thought they were talking about a pickup game. They said it was an important game. I declined as I had a reservation at Keesman Braurei, but perhaps I could've been part of a purple and white 5.Liga game for promotion.

The Smokey Beers will have a good shot at the new Regionalliga. Unfortunately both they and the Kickers would both then need to be promoted to the 3. Liga before they would play each other... (excepting of course the off chance they are drawn to meet in the DFB Pokal).

Well it is only City's second ever game in the UCL. They will have dealt with their nerves and Bayern won't defend the rope a dope style of 11 men behind the ball like Napoli did. FC Bayern is representing the European establishment against the new guys. Their supporters will not accept them playing chicken shet against some team they've never seen before.

Some definite sour grapes comments at the end of the article. It's another reason why I appreciate International Soccer better (Hurry Euro 2012). Some clubs have money, and some don't. The clubs with money obviously do better.

Munich is one awesome city though. It's quite beautiful IMO. I have enjoyed all of my stays there. And talk about a beer city, this city has a variety of beer styles that are of excellent quality. There are maltsters and hop fields in the Munich area, plus the motherlode of malting and noble hop fields up the road in Nuremberg and Bamberg.

The comments below are well worth reading too, if you haven't already. Someone made a good comment regarding costs vs debt. I'm all for Financial Fair Play, but I imagine some modifying is in order. La Liga needs to be blown up and completely started over.

And as far as sponsorships, I'm a bit surprised there seems to be soo many Arab businesses or Arab Oil/Gas companies as sponsors.

And your right about Qatar, (RANT TIME) but that has to be the most stupidest choice for a WC site that I've ever seen. Temperature's there in the summer are absolutely brutal, it's too small of a country to hold it, terrorism threats will be ridiculous. I hoep they find this vote was "bought" off and they can change it. USA had a good chance of winning that bid.

The comments below are well worth reading too, if you haven't already. Someone made a good comment regarding costs vs debt. I'm all for Financial Fair Play, but I imagine some modifying is in order. La Liga needs to be blown up and completely started over.

And as far as sponsorships, I'm a bit surprised there seems to be soo many Arab businesses or Arab Oil/Gas companies as sponsors.

And your right about Qatar, (RANT TIME) but that has to be the most stupidest choice for a WC site that I've ever seen. Temperature's there in the summer are absolutely brutal, it's too small of a country to hold it, terrorism threats will be ridiculous. I hoep they find this vote was "bought" off and they can change it. USA had a good chance of winning that bid.

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If that does happen..........Arsenal should get Cesc back.......and Messi too!!!